Eleven students from Campbell High School in Smyrna, Ga. visited campus in March to learn more about life on a college campus. All are members of Campbell’s Hermanos Espartanos, a group dedicated to increasing the number of Latinx students who pursue post-secondary education.

Clara Grimaldo ’21, one of the group’s founders and now an Oglethorpe student, organized the campus visit. A freshman, Grimaldo is majoring in Sociology and Spanish, and is active on campus as an Admission Ambassador and a member of the student organization (H)OLA. (H)OLA serves as a voice for Latinx students, educates students about the diverse cultures found in Latin America and embodied in the growing number of Latinx students at Oglethorpe, and emphasizes the importance of community service in the Latinx community within and outside the university.

Partnering with (H)OLA, the Center for Civic Engagement, and the Office of Admission, Grimaldo set up panels, classroom visits, and a tour of campus for the high schoolers. Staff and faculty talked with the students about ways to get involved in their communities, how best to prepare to apply for college, and ways to afford college.

Oglethorpe students Caleb Logan, Luis Pereira-Hernandez, Syeda Bano, Julissa Canas-Escobar and Jorge Rocha shared their own respective experiences in applying for college and how they have been involved at Oglethorpe. They emphasized the importance of finding a campus home and committing to being an involved member of a college community.

Following the visit, one of the attendees shared a message, writing: “I just wanted to say thanks for today! I really enjoyed it and I know everyone else did too! I took away so much, so I’m grateful that you took the time to plan this.”